Lonehill Animal Welfare News -

August 4, 2020August 4, 2020

Welcome!

There are some wonderful people in Lonehill who, on a completely volunteer basis, take care of healthy populations of feral cats, bunnies, goats, dogs etc. They sometimes share their tales with the Lonehill Community on this Lonehill Animal Welfare News website as they depend on the public for support, donations, volunteering and sharing in their good and not so good news sometimes.
If you have any articles and photos about animal welfare to share with the Lonehill Community, you can contact the webmaster to submit such articles and photos by Tuesday at 12:00 noon. In the LRA newsletter a link is published weekly to this independent website. Articles can be any length and photos any size.

December 7, 2021December 7, 2021

HOMELESS CATS – STERILISATION PROJECT – 7 DECEMBER 2021

There are several colonies of about 47 homeless cats living in the open fields surrounding the Fourways Value Centre in Pineslopes.

The cats used to live in the fields which were fenced off from the centre, but they used to come through the fence to feeding /sleeping stations set up along the fence in the Fourways Value Centre. This meant that they had shelter from the Highveld storms and the hadedahs didn’t eat their food, and they were easy to trap and sterilise because they were used to coming to be fed.

Unfortunately additional palisade uprights were installed along the fence between the centre and the open field which has prevented the cats from being able to get through the fence to the feeding stations – except in one or 2 places.

Around the same time the economic devastation of COVID struck, and people started dumping un-sterilised domestic cats, and because it was almost impossible for the cats to get to the feeding stations, it has been impossible to trap them, and a flood of kittens have born.

Thanks to the kindness of the owner of the open field adjacent to the centre we have now been granted access to the field to try and trap the cats and kittens living there.

Unfortunately the land is very steep and uneven, and there are so many hiding spaces for the cats so this is exponentially harder than it used to be when we could trap by the feeding stations in the centre, but it has to be done to avoid a catastrophic increase in the number of homeless cats.

5 kittens have already been caught and are being fostered by some of my feeders until they are old enough to be vaccinated and homes found for them, but there are still several adult cats and apparently about 9 more kittens that need to be caught.

I am asking for donations towards this sterilization project.

Bank Details for donations:-
Homeless Cats
Capitec
Branch Code 470010
Account No. 14 18 99 95 61

Thank you in advance
Linda Horsfield linsam@yebo.co.za
082 566 335

December 7, 2021December 7, 2021

FERAL CATS, RESCUES AND OTHER – 7 DECEMBER 2021

This week a TRIBUTE to a beloved feral cat, Jessie (on the left)

One of our recent Lonehill adopters of two tame, domestic adult cats, Snow and Fudge, recently lost her feral cat, Jessie, who was in stage 4 of renal failure and had to be put to sleep. When we passed on our condolences, Jessie’s human mom and carer sent us the following message via whatsapp. Feral cats, especially black feral cats, are so misunderstood and maligned. In honour of Jessie and as a tribute to her and to all other ferals who have not been as fortunate to have the unconditional love and care that Jessie had, please read her human mom’s words below – it is absolutely beautiful. Fly free with the butterflies special Jessie ….. 🦋🦋

Judy
Judy.e.david@gmail.com

“Jessie was feral – she had been with me for over 11 years – a beautiful black cat with a little white diamond on her tummy and emerald green eyes. A cat who chose to live her life outside and when she wanted to be cuddled it was on her terms. To stroke that gorgeous fur was like touching velvet. Before Snow and Fudge arrived I always found her fur on my bed – so she slept there during the day while I was at work. She was my early morning companion when I go out for my 4am walk. I go up and down 15 times on my road as a warm up and while I was busy with that she would be exploring the verges of other houses or go into the road drain. After my warm up I go for a 5km walk around Lonehill and if it was still dark when I came back – she would be waiting for me and this was when she allowed me to pick her up and have a 5 minute cuddle and loud purring and then she was off for the day – doing her thing in the garden. The next time I would see her was when she came in for her night meal around 7pm after which she would settle on the patio furniture for a night time nap but would be waiting for me at 4am when she was quite vocal if I was late. I do hope she is chasing a butterfly or two. 🦋🦋”

December 3, 2021December 3, 2021

DIEPSLOOT DOGS – DECEMBER 2021

December 1, 2021December 1, 2021

FERAL CATS, RESCUES AND OTHER – 1 DECEMBER 2021

PHEW! WHAT A WEEK! We so desperately need the rain but I do wish that the powers that be would spread it out over a few days even weeks. We spent most of the week digging trenches around the cat enclosures to stop the rain and mud from washing away the ground the cats were standing on especially as we had just sown grass. We had to change the cats’ bedding and blankets several times a day as although their bedding is sheltered the cats go out of their huts, kennels and Wendy houses into the fresh air and bring in mud and wet paws!!!!

TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return): During the past week several cats have been trapped, sterilised, had their vaccinations and spot-on and returned from whence they came. On many occasions the weather was against us.

In the photo is Nikita, a teenager of about 8 months, semi-feral, but obviously once a domestic who joined one of our feral cat colonies a couple of weeks ago. We thought initially Nikita was a female, however, he was a double crypt orchid (more costly procedure) and there being no homes out there and the shelters being full he was released back into the colony who had accepted his presence.

Kittens and teenagers:
In the collage of 4 kittens, all male, born 9^th September so now nearly 12 weeks old, vaccinated and healthy, we have what we called the Mississippi litter. Apart from this litter we have some younger kittens at the shelter and another litter out in foster care. All awaiting visits from potential adopters.

We then have several teenage kittens up to 12 months of age, both sexes and various colours. As these kittens are kept in the main house and not the shelter an appointment would need to be made if you wish to meet them. Amelia (see photo below left) is one of the many teenagers we have in our care.

Other: In the short video directly below we have a rescued Vervet baby. One of our local volunteers regularly takes time off to go to the Vervet Monkey sanctuary in the Tzaneen area and this baby is currently with her. The baby is doing well and hopefully can be rehabilitated once old enough.

FOOD DONATIONS:
Unfortunately since H.O. Pick’nPay asked that our donations bin be removed we have had little or no food donations despite our local Pick’nPay allowing us to put our pet food donations into the “FEED THE NATION BIN” which is just inside their doors and they would put it to one side for us. Biz-X-Press will also accept these donations on our behalf, however, understandably people do not want to buy from Pick’nPay and then take it to Biz-X-Press!

If you live in the Lonehill area and have donations, whether food or otherwise I am happy to collect.

ADOPTIONS and FOSTERS:
Approved adoption and foster applications and home-checks apply. Our adoption fee of R850 covers 1st vacs and boosters as well as 1st rabies, deworming, deflea, and sterilisation when done by one of our nominated Vets. Should you wish to visit kindly contact me, Judy, on 083 611 1333.

Financial Donations to:
J David Cats Galore
Standard Bank
Branch code: 051001
Cheque a/c no. 002982846
Beneficiary Ref: “CG + Cell number”

Proof of payments to either: Judy 083 611 1333 or judy.e.david@gmail.com

Judy
Judy.e.david@gmail.com

November 23, 2021November 23, 2021

CAROLE’S CAT CHRONICLES – 24 November 2021

UPDATE ON CLEO

The picture in my chronicles of the 8th November showed Cleo eating her supper.

She appeared well and her normal self at that time, Then without any warning, she became very ill, so rapidly after that picture was taken. She deteriorated very quickly and became so weak she could not even stand up. She was so weak we could pick her up easily and take her to the vet to see what could be done. Bearing in mind she is an elderly cat and the onset of her condition was so rapid. The vet said there was nothing that could be done as she was already so ill, weak and dehydrated.

So the hard decision was made to euthanaze her, to stop her suffering any further. I was grateful that I could be with her at the end. I stroked her and told her we loved her and that there would no more suffering.

It is heartbreaking to make this decision and I always wish there was something that could be done to save any cat that is so sick.

RIP dear CLEO.

DONATIONS

This week through a contact of one of the volunteers we received an enormous and generous donation of soft cat food in the form of small cans of BON APPETITE MOUSSE.

This is very good quality cat food and a real treat for our cats. There are 12 tins in a tray and we received 40 trays. This is quite amazing and our cats will enjoy this food for at least 2 months. How lucky we are. Just in time for Christmas treats.

Carole
0824242363
caroledike@googlemail.com

November 23, 2021November 23, 2021

FERAL CATS, RESCUES AND OTHER – 23 November 2021

This week 3 collages of Special Needs cats now all in long-term foster homes. Although these cats receive top notch medical care at the shelter many of these illnesses, viruses and diseases are exacerbated by stress and being in loving homes is far less stressful and they generally greatly improve.

Giles and Slippers are in a foster home together. Although seemingly very healthy they are both FIV (Feline Aids) positive. When both came to us they were not sterilised and had started roaming looking for females and getting into fights resulting in them contracting the disease.

They are basically both now indoor cats going out under supervision only. Giles last week got entangled in something thus causing an abscess to form on his front leg. He was taken to one of our rescue vets who lanced and drained the abscess. Being FIV positive they kept him in for 3 nights, draining the abscess each day but also monitoring him closely because of his FIV status. He went home on Saturday and is doing well.

Yet another Vet bill which I take out of any donations received. Their general immune booster, Moducare (clinical studies have shown that it assists with FIV, FeLV and even FIP), is covered by their foster mom.

Marshie aka Marshmallow also in foster care was FeLV (Feline Leukaemia) positive from birth and if she had not been tested as a kitten of a few weeks of age one would never know she had the virus.

She too is on Moducare and Stoma Focus for the gingivitis and teeth. She’s now coming up 2 years old. Again an indoor cat with access to a small secure garden which she loves. Again being in foster care has reduced the stress levels.

Shadow featured recently is also FeLV positive. Obviously a tame domestic at some stage who not being sterilised went wandering, was caught, sterilized, vaccinated and went into shelter care initially, but having the Herpes Virus (Snuffles) he was not recovering and now in foster care.

You can see the before and now photos in the collage. This was in 3 weeks in a stress free environment.

What does this tell us. Sterilize, sterilize, sterilize!

FOOD DONATIONS

Our local Pick’nPay are allowing us to put our pet food donations into the “FEED THE NATION BIN” (see photo) which is just inside their doors and they will put it to one side for us. Thank you to the Managers at our local Pick’nPay. Biz-X-Press will also accept these donations on our behalf. Once again thank you Terri of Biz-X-Press for always supporting us.

ADOPTIONS and FOSTERS

Approved adoption and foster applications and home-checks apply. Our adoption fee of R850 covers 1st vacs and boosters as well as 1st rabies, deworming, deflea, and sterilisation when done by one of our nominated Vets. Should you wish to visit them kindly contact me, Judy, on 083 611 1333.

Financial Donations to:
J David Cats Galore
Standard Bank
Branch code: 051001
Cheque a/c no. 002982846
Beneficiary Ref: “CG + Cell number”

Proof of payments to either: Judy 083 611 1333 or judy.e.david@gmail.com

Judy

November 17, 2021November 17, 2021

FERAL CATS, RESCUES AND OTHER – 17 November 2021

We are currently extremely busy caring for and rescuing kittens and cats in distress etc. We are full to capacity and do not have the manpower nor space to cope with more.

If there are no adopters out there then we need long-term foster families who will give a cat or cats a loving home where we will support the cat, partially or fully, depending on what is needed (our main objective being that the cat is in a loving environment) whether it be food, meds or Vet care.

We also need visitors who can spend a few hours with some or all of the cats giving them some love and attention.

Some 8 adults cats have been adopted by Lonehill residents over the past couple of years and many more kittens. This week in the collage we have Freddie, Bethnie, Meeka and Billy-Bob, all four young cats, sterilised, vaccinated and negative for FIV and FeLV. These are just 4 cats out of the some 90 in our care.

In the two video clips below, we have Jefferson one of the bottle-fed babies, also featured previously, who is now one of the many ready for adoption.

Jefferson, the kitten

Jefferson, aka The Bullet

FOOD DONATIONS:
Unfortunately Pick’nPay Head Office will not allow us to put back our donations bin that was just inside their doors. Pick’nPays’ own animal food promotion ended in October. All the food donated was given to the SPCA despite much of it being donated to ourselves but I am quite happy with it going to the SPCA.

The Managers of our local Pick’nPay are aware of our bin having been there for some 13 years and have agreed that any dog or cat food put into their own bin which is for donations of human food, they will put to one side for us. Thank you to the Managers at our local Pick’nPay. Biz-X-Press will also accept these donations on our behalf. Thank you Terri of Biz-X-Press for always supporting us.

Financial Donations to:
J David Cats Galore
Standard Bank
Branch code: 051001
Cheque a/c no. 002982846
Beneficiary Ref: “CG + Cell number”

Proof of payments to either: Judy 083 611 1333 or judy.e.david@gmail.com

Judy
Judy.e.david@gmail.com

November 9, 2021November 9, 2021

CAROLE’S CAT CHRONICLES – 8 November 2021

DONATIONS

I would like to thank the person who left a 2kg bag of Hills kidney and joint care cat pellets. This is most welcome as our cats are getting older and this type of food is very good for their health. Also thank you for the pampers pouches of soft food. My donation bin is at VET TO PET in LONEHILL SHOPPING CENTRE. All donations big or small are always welcome. Also I would like to thank the ladies who donate monthly into the cat fund bank account which helps towards any medical veterinary costs. Fortunately, recently there has been no sick or injured cats. For which I am so grateful. All our cats are healthy and doing well.

If you would like to donate on a once off or regular basis here are the banking details:
HOMELESS CAT PROJECT BANK DETAILS
STANDARD BANK
A/C NBR 20 4949270
CM. BARRETO

The pictures I have added to this week’s update (below) are of BOY and CLEO. Two of our 12+ year cats at the leaping frog. Still doing well on regular, good quality cat food.

Not much news this week as everything is ticking along nicely.

Carole
0824242363

November 9, 2021November 9, 2021

FERAL CATS, RESCUES AND OTHER – 8 November 2021

Then Jefferson (male), Keanu (male) and Haley (female), from different litters, now about 6 weeks of age are off the bottle and will be up for adoption when 8 weeks of age and once they have had their 1st vaccinations. They were also featured on 20 October with another kitten, Madison, who is being adopted by his foster mommy.

Just for a change – short and sweet this week as we are all trying to work around load shedding in different areas at different times.

KITTENS:
Hereto 2 collages of the kittens we currently have available, these are apart from the some 90 teenagers and adult kitties we have in our care. About 10 of the 90 are feral and they have their own enclosure and as such are not up for adoption but about 80 of them are tame domestics who were either strays, abandoned or surrendered to us, ranging from a few months of age to 12 years. All these cats have been sterilised and vaccinated and looking for homes.

Our Mississippi litter named after places in that State are Sharkey, Yazoo, Noxubee (the only grey tabby) and Lafayette, all males now 12 – 13 weeks of age and not 2 boys and 2 girls as originally thought. All vaccinated and will have rabies shots shortly and are negative for FIV and FeLV.

Should you wish to visit them kindly contact me, Judy, on 083 611 1333.

Financial Donations to:
J David Cats Galore
Standard Bank
Branch code: 051001
Cheque a/c no. 002982846
Beneficiary Ref: “CG + Cell number”

Proof of payments to either: Judy 083 611 1333 or judy.e.david@gmail.com

Judy
Judy.e.david@gmail.com

Haley and Sharky

November 3, 2021November 3, 2021

FERAL CATS, RESCUES AND OTHER – 2 November 2021

On a positive note this week:
In the one collage we have Marshie, one of our kittens born with FeLV (Feline Leukaemia) who is currently in long term foster care where she is in a loving and caring home but we pay for all her medical care.

She went into foster care when only a few months old and is now 22 months old and for the moment doing extremely well. She has gingivitis which is the norm for FeLV cats but her human mother brushes her teeth every night and she gets a daily Moducare tablet (clinical studies done by Cornell have shown that Moducare assists cats who have FIV, FeLV or FIP) as well as Stoma Focus to assist with the gingivitis. Moducare is not cheap (R200 a bottle of 90 tablets) and at the shelter we go thru 5 bottles a month when we can afford to buy it. We have seen the results.

Marshie loves watching cat videos on her mum’s cell phone and when she has had enough of you doing computer work she just lies on the mouse. These are the results of a cat being in a loving, caring home.

At the time this kitten (on the right) was called Babe, the smallest and runt of the litter with a stump of a tail. He was always a sickly kitten and went to a home where there were 2 other healthy kittens of the same age who had all had their first vaccinations as had Babe, however, when Babe fell sick he didn’t get the care he needed as the adopter had fallen upon hard times and had without our knowledge taken in several stray cats, getting none of them seen to by a Vet or vaccinated.

A few weeks ago Babe got the Calicivirus, the worst case the Vet had seen and his mouth being full of ulcers he was unable to eat and literally starving to death. He was at death’s door. We had to syringe feed him and give him sub cuts as he was totally dehydrated. We took him back into our care and since placing him with an experienced foster mom he has gained weight, had a few teeth removed, his gums attended to and given one on one love and care that he had not been previously receiving. Guess what! I am over the moon he has become a foster fail and the experienced foster mom is adopting him. His kitty mom, Morgan, now a gentle tame cat is also up for adoption.(on the right

Then we have Schweppes (on the left) who today had her freedom back and the cone of shame removed, we hope permanently. After 2 operations and months of loving care from her foster mom who is now a foster fail and is adopting Schweppes, Schweppes has kept her eye and although it is like looking thru a net curtain she has sight in that eye. It was worth every penny and I have the supporters of this newsletter to thank for that, for their generous donations. I spend thousands of rands per month on these medical procedures. (Cause of her problems was the Herpes Virus, Snuffles, which as a kitten in the wild was not attended to).

Then in the other collage below titled “From death’s door” we have one of Morgan’s babies. Morgan, then a feral cat, gave birth to kittens at a business close by. Whilst out looking for food someone thought her six kittens, then only 2 days old, had been abandoned and took the kittens home. We then took them into foster care for bottle feeding and went in search of the mom, Morgan, who was lying exactly where the kittens were found and we reunited her the next day with her babies and I took them all to the shelter.

ADOPTIONS and FOSTERS:
Please remember we have some 90 adult cats, several teenagers, kittens and a few bottle babies at the shelter all up for adoption or fostering: Approved adoption and foster applications and home-checks apply. Our adoption fee of R850 covers 1st vacs and boosters as well as 1st rabies, deworming, deflea, and sterilization when done by one of our nominated Vets. Should you wish to visit them kindly contact me, Judy, on 083 611 1333.

Financial Donations to:
J David Cats Galore
Standard Bank
Branch code: 051001
Cheque a/c no. 002982846
Beneficiary Ref: “CG + Cell number”

Proof of payments to either: Judy 083 611 1333 or judy.e.david@gmail.com

Judy
Judy.e.david@gmail.com